Shifting Tides
by sailoryaoimoon
Summary: Old friends show up on Filia's door steps after all these years, but what will come of these encounters? Will anything change for her and Val?
1. Shifting Tides Chapter 1

Well, here's the first chapter to this tiny ficlet. Just a tiny disclaimer along with the usual stuff: I do not own Slayers in any way, just a lot of it's merchandise ^_~ Slayers is the property of Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi, TV Tokyo, Software Sculptors, and Central Park Media. Any attempts to sue me are useless, as I'm just a poor high school kid. XD  
  
Title: Shifting Tides.  
  
Author: sailoryaoimoon  
  
Disclaimer: Again, Slayers doesn't belong to me...if it did, I'm sure it'd be more f***** up than it was to begin with.^^;  
  
Warning: None really.  
  
Rating: G  
  
Pairing: None, unless you count some characters that could be showing up in later chapters...^_~  
  
Author's Note: It bothered me that there weren't that many fics out there (if any) that went into Filia's character after the events in Try. I decided I was going to fix that XP Hope you enjoy, and be gentle: it's my first fic ^^ Also, this fic takes place a good 20 years after Slayers Try, giving Val some time to grow up into a small boy, at least XDD *sighs at cute little Valtiel*  
  
Also, this fic is a total revision of the same one posted before. Considering that there was quite a bit that was off-key on character and world history, I decided to totally revise what I had originally planned. That being the case, I hope y'all enjoy this new version of the same fic^^  
  
Feedback: Any feedback is always appreciated, as it will only fuel my writing skills even more ^^ Any flames will be used to keep me warm during this cold season ^_~  
  
And now, on to the ficcie XDD  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Thank you, kind sirs! Please come again!!" Filia called out, pleased to have made a good sale on some rare vases she had just received from another town over.  
  
'Hee, those baroque designs were just too good to pass up,' she thought, her eyes glowing with joy. 'Too bad Miss Lina didn't want to be business partners. I'm sure this kind of thing would really be up her alley.'  
  
Her eyes softened a bit, her golden hair splaying over her eyesight a little. Out of habit, the Golden Dragon nonchalantly placed the loose strands behind her ears, thinking nostalgically about the past 20 years.  
  
"I'm sure everyone is just the same as usual," she thought out loud.  
  
Suddenly an idea came to her. "Oh! Maybe Miss Lina and Mister Gourry finally...Heee, oh that would be too precious!!!"  
  
Just as quickly as her smile came, a small frown soon replaced it.  
  
"That just leaves me...alone." She then wildly shook her head. "No! That's not right at all! I have Mister Gravos and Mister Jillas here with me. As well as..."  
  
The Golden Dragon smiled softly, remembering how happy she was, and still is, to raise her little Valtiel into a fine dragon.  
  
Filia absentmindedly wiped some forming tears from her eyes, determined not to dwell too much on the past.  
  
She quickly busied herself with little chores to keep her mind off such things. She found a few shelves in need of dusting, some vases and whatnot in need of pricing....it was a very busy day indeed for this particular dragon.  
  
As Filia was just about to place a reasonably priced tag (A/N: knowing Filia, "reasonable" probably means "expensive") on a cute little tea set, she cringed at a loud crash from the back room, followed by loud cursing and an equally loud torrent of giggles.  
  
Sighing to herself, Filia made her way to the back. 'Considering how big Mister Gravos is, I shouldn't be too surprised how often I have to clean these kinds of messes up.'  
  
Pushing away the drapery above the doorway, Filia almost lost face at the horrible scene in front of her. Chairs lay sprawled across the splintered floor, along with large shards of glass that were imbedded into both the floor and the sides of the brand new wallpaper Filia had put up not too long ago.  
  
Pulling a few shards out of the wall, Filia wiped away a few gathering tears, saddened by the disheveled state of her poor shop. 'My poor wallpaper.*sniff*.you were so cute with your little daisies and ribbons.' the Golden Dragon thought, weeping silently to herself.  
  
She turned to give Gravos and Jillas a stern glare, then sighed from frustration.  
  
"C'mon you two, you know the rules around here: any mess you make you clean up yourself," she stated firmly, handing both the demi-humans brooms and dust pans.  
  
"Yes, Boss!"  
  
"Right away, Sir!!"  
  
Filia cringed slightly at the titles the two had given her. 'Is it too much to ask that they call me Filia, by now?' she thought exasperatedly.  
  
"Just remember you two: please be more careful around here."  
  
A unison of "Yes Boss!" made its way back to her as she approached the front of the store, mentally reminding herself to put the two of them through some more lessons on how to handle expensive artifacts.  
  
As she made her way back to the front, she noticed a certain dragon hiding behind the rafters of the ascending staircase adjacent to her.  
  
Smiling and sighing to herself, Filia thought, 'Hmph....no matter how much trouble those two cause me, I'll always have a family here. Yes....a wonderful family...'  
  
Opening a dimensional wall, Filia reappeared behind the young dragon and swooped him into her arms. The protesting mass squirmed and fidgeted around in her grasp, trying his best to get out of her clutches.  
  
"No fair, Mama Filia!! You can't do that when I still can't," Val pouted, making his point by giving her a flamboyant raspberry.  
  
A sinister gleam in her eye, the Golden Dragon replied, "Oh? And I suppose naughty boys who laugh and giggle at all the messes made around here is any better?"  
  
Jumping out of his Mama's arms, Val retorted, "I can't help it if it's so boring around here!!" At this he gave his usual warm hearted grin and sped off into town, no doubt searching for new trouble to cause.  
  
Filia's eyebrows twitched slightly, but she knew it was all in good humor.  
  
"He is right though," she admitted. "Nothing much really happens around here, and Lord knows that that troublesome boy is itching to make something happen."  
  
As she finished her sentence, a strange presence filled the shop. A very familiar one.  
  
Sighing even more than before, Filia made her way back to the front of the store, knowing that she would've had to talk to that person sooner or later.  
  
Reaching the store's front desk, she turned to face an old friend, although "friend" was stretching the term a bit.  
  
Smiling slightly, Filia calmly said, "It's been quite awhile, hasn't it, Xelloss?"  
  
Returning her smile, Xelloss merely perched himself on the nearest stool, resting his cane in mid air for support.  
  
"Why, yes indeed, it has been awhile, Filia. Do you have any tea? I'm rather famished after doing various odd jobs for Lord Greater Beast," he replied, a melancholy look plastering his expression.  
  
"Yes, I do. Will green tea be enough? I'm fresh out of any other herbs or spices, I'm afraid," Filia said, heading out to the back room to search the cupboards for any cups which hadn't been broken.  
  
"Why yes, that'd be just perfect, dear Filia. By the way, it really has been a long time, hasn't it? That Val has grown quite well hasn't he?"  
  
Filia couldn't help but smile at the remark.  
  
Yes, it had been a long, long time.  
  
******************************************************  
  
To Be Continued..  
  
SYM here!! [a/n]: Hmmmm....I hope no one was too OOC here. I tried to keep the characters as close as possible to the anime version, even if it is 20 years later XD *grins sweetly* Xelloss is here for a special reason^^ And it's not to hound poor Filia!! *everyone gasps* I know!!! How shocking XD Well, see ya in the next chapter. Also, I happen to love green tea^^ Just a shameless plug, just so you know ^_~ 


	2. Shifting Tides Chapter 2

*walks over and stands in center of stage*  
  
*Adjusts microphone.*  
  
SYM: Aherm.....I would like to apologize for the crappy way I've handled this fic. I've, hopefully, fixed all the bugs in the characters and the current history in the Slayers world. I'm sorry if I've screwed up too much, but hey, this is my first fic after all.  
  
So, onto the usual shticks of disclaimer and whatnot..  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Slayers in any way. If I did, I could definitely retire happy ^^ Slayers belongs to the talented people over at TV Tokyo and Softx, as well as its original creators Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi.  
  
[a/n]: Thanks go out to the wonderful Ukchana, who pointed out all my unsightly endeavors in such a nice way ^^ Thanks so much for helping me, sweetie.  
  
And so, on to the new, special, super-duper revised version. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~******************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The sun beamed down upon the quiet town of Miranda, soaking its happy people with its benevolent rays. Outside, couples took part in brisk walks, shyly holding one another's hands. Little children laughed and pranced around the water fountain in the middle of town, its architecture designed to resemble Ciephied, the Flare Dragon Lord.  
  
Shop owners opened their tenements early, with the excitement of making business and seeing old, friendly faces once more. The elderly walked peacefully along the town, happy to see so many young faces out and about these days.  
  
Yes, it was, indeed, a splendidly perfect day.  
  
Inside a certain antique shop, the golden-haired dragon could sense the gentleness of the day as well. It was as if time had stopped, allowing Filia to soak in the serene atmosphere that was making its way throughout the town.  
  
She smiled as a cool breeze came through an open window, her hair dancing softly as if entranced by the wind's soft melody.  
  
Xelloss could only stare in wonder at the calm priestess sitting in front of him. Decades ago, this same priestess (now ex-priestess) would've taken out her mace and attempt to massacre this poor ([a/n]: only Xelloss would think himself totally innocent XDD) Mazoku, without hearing another word about it. It was somewhat eerie to see the same person sitting right in front of him, nibbling on her cookies and sipping on her tea......with no threat of bodily harm in sight!!!  
  
It was, indeed, perplexing.  
  
Just like the little dragon he met not too long ago.  
  
*******************************************************************  
  
*5 Minutes Earlier*  
  
Val ran out of the shop, his heart barely able to keep up with all the excitement just ready to burst forth from some antics.....errrrr, fun he was going to have.  
  
Just as he rounded a sharp corner on his way to meet his friends at the water fountain, he bumped into a rather large object. The Ancient Dragon fell flat on his bottom, cursing slightly at his sore posterior.  
  
"My, my. Still have the same foul mouth as ever I see," stated the large object rather matter-of-factly.  
  
As Val checked to see he hadn't hurt anything, he finally glanced up to see a strange looking old man towering over him. Usually, the little dragon would've told any other person to "watch where you're goin'!", but this unusual person, strangely, intrigued Val.  
  
The older man bent down on eye-level with young Val, a playful smile gracing his face. Val couldn't help but cock his head at the weird guy, feeling somewhat nostalgic about this person.  
  
"You're not hurt, are you young man?" the violet-haired man asked, his playful smile still firmly set.  
  
Red with embarrassment, Val replied, "No, I'm OK. Your not hurt, right old man?"  
  
Face vaulting slightly at Val's choice of words, Xelloss dragged himself back up using his cane. 'Geez......even reincarnated, the dragon still shows little to no respect.'  
  
Not one to let himself get irritated easily, Xelloss merely plastered his trademark smile back on his face, chuckling slightly to ease his mood (as well as amuse the young dragon).  
  
"Oh, I'm just fine. Tell me, where can I find a nearby antique shop named 'The Dragon's Antique Corner?""  
  
Val's face brightened significantly, his expression shining with excitement. 'Heeeee, I get to help a grown up out!!! How cool!!!' Coughing slightly, Val put his hands in his pants pockets, assuming a cool posture to impress the older man.  
  
"Oh.....that place. It's down one block and to the right. Ya can't miss it."  
  
Xelloss' eyes traveled in the direction Val described to him, a more mischievous smile replacing his earlier one.  
  
"Thank you, Val," the trickster priest said, just as he vanished via sub space.  
  
Val rubbed his eyes a few times, unsure of what he just saw. Another grown up who can do the same thing as his Mama Filia can?!!!!! That's soooooo cool!!!!  
  
"But wait a sec......," Val thought out loud, "......how did he know my name?"  
  
Shrugging slightly, Val pushed it in the back of his mind, instead focusing his attention on getting to the water fountain. He knew he was late!!!!!!  
  
"Ooooohhhhhhh maaaaannnnn!!!!! The guys are gonna kill me!!!!!!" The young dragon wailed as he sprinted down another block to meet his friends.  
  
*******************************************************************  
  
Setting her cup down, Filia slightly winced at the noise it made on her brand new china. She certainly hoped it wouldn't scratch easily like her last one did.  
  
Glancing up, she noticed Xelloss hadn't really touched his tea.  
  
"What's wrong? Don't you like it?"  
  
Xelloss snapped his head back to Filia, as he had been staring intently out the window at an elderly couple who appeared to be having trouble stopping a rampaging squad of carrots. Magical ones at that.  
  
Turning his attention to his tea, the Mazoku gingerly took a sip and smiled. "Oh, the tea is just fine, I was just wondering if you could tell me what exactly your neighbors are doing."  
  
Filia turned slightly, chuckling a little at the trouble the Marlene's were having with their magical experiments again.  
  
"Oh....heeee, that's just the Marlene's and their magical escapades again. Last time, they tried to make their vegetables grow quicker using white magic, but only succeeded in making the vegetables all two times the size of their house!"  
  
Xelloss laughed a little, trying to picture a 20 foot tall menacing cabbage.  
  
Filia started to laugh along with him, missing some of the times she had with Miss Lina and everyone else. It always seemed comedy followed them around like a gold fish with its feces.  
  
Wiping a tear away, Filia startled when Xelloss said, "Speaking of magical escapades, you wouldn't believe who I saw not too long ago."  
  
"Who?" the Golden Dragon asked, getting somewhat excited.  
  
Taking another sip of his tea, Xelloss replied, "Why, Miss Lina and Miss Amelia, traveling together with another strange companion, it would seem."  
  
A tad bit confused, Filia pushed, asking, "But, wait a minute. Where were Mr. Gourry, and Mr. Zelgadiss?"  
  
Xelloss held up his hands saying, "I didn't see either of them there. They must be in some other city, somewhere."  
  
Filia shrugged, saying, "Oh, well. It's good to know that Miss Lina and Miss Amelia are doing well. But who was this third companion you're talking about?"  
  
Xelloss paled, having to recall that unpleasant memory. Turning around slowly, creaking as he went, Xelloss muttered, "It was a monstrosity far worse than even Lina Inverse......."  
  
The Golden Dragon blanched, falling out of her chair, making sure she caught her cup as it fell from the table.  
  
Getting the chills, Filia asked, "Who could possibly be worse than Miss Lina?"  
  
Xelloss shakily replied, "She called herself.......Naga the Serpent."  
  
Filia scrunched her face slightly. "Who would ever want to be called that?"  
  
"A monster, it would seem," Xelloss said, regaining his composure.  
  
Filia stood back up and dusted her satin dress off, making sure she hadn't damaged it when she fell. She carefully sat back in her chair, her pinky finger already finding its way around the loop of her tea cup. As she took another sip to calm her nerves, a thought struck her.  
  
"What was this........Naga doing with Miss Lina and Miss Amelia anyway?" Filia asked.  
  
"It would appear that they were off on another adventure. I believe they were going to Sairaag to check up on someone named Sylphiel, see if this person would join them."  
  
Feeling nostalgic, Filia asked, "Did Miss Lina or Miss Amelia look any different than before?"  
  
Before Xelloss could answer, a deep voice replied, "Well, not so much different as you, I would imagine."  
  
Both Filia and Xelloss turned, a shocked expression plastered on their faces.  
  
"YOU?!" they both said in unison.  
  
Feeling irritated enough as it was, the gruff chimera answered, "Look, enough with the dramatics. Could I please have a cup of coffee, Filia?"  
  
Nodding dumbly, Filia made her way into the kitchen while Xelloss made a lopsided grin at Zelgadiss.  
  
Raising his eyebrows, Zelgadiss said, "What are you so happy about, fruit cake?"  
  
Waving his finger in front of his face, Xelloss replied, "That is a secret."  
  
Zelgadiss knew his day had just gotten worse.  
  
*******************************************************************  
  
Well, so ends the second chapter, revised to boot ^^  
  
Y'all may be wondering: why the heck IS Xelloss there? And what's the deal with Zelgadiss?? Read some more to find out^^ And about Naga: I decided to include her with Lina and Amelia, so Amelia finally got to meet her big sis again^^ Though it is off screen, just like Naga was in the Slayers Premium movie. Hope you liked this chappie. I think the story will be about four chapters now, though I may just settle for two. But who knows........maybe the fourth will be an epilogue of sorts XD  
  
Catch ya next time ^^ 


	3. Shifting Tides Chapter 3

*looks over reviews with reading glasses, a smug look plastered on my face*  
  
SYM: Yo, it's good to know that I've fixed most, if not all, of the problems with my fic. As that is the case, I shall commence with the third chapter, which might be the ending...I'm not quite sure yet with this fic, but it's more than likely I'll write a fourth chapter as an epilogue.  
  
Xelloss: *reads script* Geez, I really am more laid back in this fic...how droll.  
  
Filia: *fumes* Really now, do I have to be so friendly with this lowly piece of garbage?!  
  
SYM: *smacks both with script* Look you two, yuir both getting paid pretty nicely for this shtick, so I suggest you both stop complaining!! *gets Godzilla sized*  
  
*Xelloss and Filia "harrumph," then stalk back onto the stage*  
  
SYM: *massaging temple* Okies people....here's my usual disclaimers and such...  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Slayers in any way...it belongs to the lucky @#$%% at Central Park Media, Software Sculptors, Hajime Kanzaka, EG Films, and TV Tokyo. If I did own even a fraction of what Slayers makes, I'd already be swimming in my own personal pool of Jell-O..............................*starts practicing swimming around*  
  
Author's Note[a/n]: Well, it's been a slightly long journey getting to this chapter...school work and my personal life keep getting in the way. That, and also my computer hogging sister is always on my damn PC. Not to mention the revisions that had to be done on the other two chapters to appease the angry readers...I do admit that I was pretty off on many accounts in the Slayers world, but I was right on two things that some of you hardcore fans neglected to look at:  
  
1.) For one thing, I was right about two pieces of Shabranigdo being reborn. Now, before some of you go off on a hissy fit, remember the Slayers video games? Especially the first one, Slayers Royal? In the game, you meet up with an elf named Lark, who is searching for his sister......who's name escapes me XD In any case, his sister had a piece of Shabranigdo inside of her, but it was, thankfully, stopped from being resurrected, courtesy of Lina Inverse. Although that doesn't count as two, I'm sure some of you haven't even looked up the Slayers novels on the internet, where a second piece of Shabranigdo was discovered inside of a man named Luke. After the Hellmaster Phibrizzo incident, Lina and Gourry met up with two mercenaries, Luke and Millina. After several incidents (including Millina's death), Luke went mad and his hatred fueled the dark lord Shabranigdo enough to be resurrected into this world.  
  
Lina was successful in killing Luke/Shabranigdo, crushing her own Demon's Blood Talismans in her mouth and reciting incantations to call upon power from the four dark lords of each world. In any case, don't hound me about incomplete knowledge when it comes to Slayers on certain accounts....I am proud of my vast knowledge in Slayers spells and world history, and I am sorry about neglecting some of the more obvious things in the Slayers world. So, lessee here...one piece was resurrected in Rei Magnus and sealed away in the valleys of the North; one was resurrected inside the priest Rezo; and one was resurrected inside of the man Luke. That makes three ^^  
  
2.) The other thing that seemed to tick people off is the notion that Xelloss cannot love. While I do agree that Xelloss isn't truly evil by nature (in some respects), he also isn't really capable of falling in love with just about anyone. Before you hound me again, I'd like to point you to a link: this wonderfully written ranting section, my friend Diane explains the pretty obvious reasons why Xelloss cannot love someone....hell, even you hardcore fans should know this by now. Remember, Monsters (or Mazoku) are, essentially, negative energy personified as "living" beings. Monsters absolutely abhor such things as love or kindness. Xelloss might "fake" love to find out information for his master, but if he ever actually fell in love it would most likely kill him (Amelia sings her songs of happiness and light at Xelloss for a reason people!). Also, remember the symbolic nature of Gods, Monsters, and Humans in Slayers: Gods are the absolute good in the Slayers world; Monsters are the absolute evil; and humans exist in-between this light and darkness. Think of these three as personifications of Freud's personality theory: the Gods are the superego; the Monsters are the id; and the humans are the ego.  
  
And please don't argue with me on Monsters and Xelloss not being evil...the creator himself has made this very clear in his novels, as well as in the anime. Lord knows how Xelloss was having a gay old time practically impaling Valgaav's arm with his cane, and who's to say Phibrizzo wasn't happy as hell when he sentenced the entire universe to destructive chaos at the hands of Lina's out-of-control Giga Slave. Think before you flame, people.  
  
Putting these rants aside, I'd like to say that I hope you enjoy the fic...as many of the ambiguous points brought up in the other two are somewhat explained here. There is definitely going to be one more fic after this...To tie things up and all. And before we get on to the fic, I just wanted to thank Ukchana for helping me out; for Diane for supporting me with a wealth of information; Tallulah, who's wonderful advice is, hopefully, steering me in the right direction on how to write fics; and to Saturn-hime, for being the biggest dumbass friend a guy could ask for XDDD  
  
This fic is for you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!! *throws party*  
  
P.S: *By the way, don't you all think Filia's antique shop has such a cute name? Heee...pardon my shameless plug XD*  
  
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*Twenty Three Hours Prior to Zelgadiss Reaching Filia's Antique Shop*  
  
Zelgadiss had that funny feeling all day – right down to his rock-covered, swollen feet – that he would be expecting some unwelcome pest to show up just as he traveled through the Desert of Destruction in search of the town of Miranda.  
  
The landscape seemed to stretch out to eternity, mocking even Zelgadiss' firm resolve to find his cure. None of the area's harsh climates or earthy obstructions caused the silver-haired chimera to forfeit his journey to Miranda – the mining town prosperous with its archive of rare artifacts and mysterious gems and stones. Rumor has it that when combined and mixed well, certain stones found in the mines are capable of purifying and restoring a man to perfect health, making them feel 5 or even ten years younger.  
  
'It may be a long shot,' the chimera thought, ruffling bits of sand and dirt out of his hair, 'but it's the only piece of information I've come across for five months that just might cure me.'  
  
Thinking back, Zelgadiss also remembered hearing a rumor that a certain "Goddess of Destruction" was traveling the land, gripping bandits and sorcerers alike once again with fear and despair.  
  
The winds slightly picked up, causing the chimera to shelter his vision from the stinging sand. His nostrils flared, picking up a crusty, earthy smell from the air.  
  
Becoming more and more irritated, Zelgadiss thrust his free hand in front of him, summoning the wind in the area around him to his hand. As he finished the incantation, he couldn't help but notice a shape out of the corner of his eyes. Not wanting to distract himself from the spell, the shaman thrust both hands in front of him, shutting his eyes tightly to maintain his concentration.  
  
"Windy Shield!!" he yelled, a small bubble of air covering his entire body from the surrounding area. The fast winds merely bounced off the bubble's surface, or added on to the bubble's field of range, causing it to grow slightly bigger as the minutes ticked on.  
  
"Ohhhh?" an obnoxious voice called. "I thought the steadfast Zelgadiss didn't waste his time using spells as a convenience..."  
  
Zelgadiss didn't even have to look to know the body that belonged to that atrocious voice. "Xelloss," the chimera ground out, annoyed that the Mazoku still had the nerve to show his face around him.  
  
"Still searching for that idealistic 'cure' of yours? Well, you won't find it in that mining town up ahead." The priest thrust his cane in the direction of the village to make his point, unfazed by the harsh climate of the desert sands and winds.  
  
"And why should I believe your word? You certainly haven't told us anything relevant when we needed it in the past." Zelgadiss crossed his arms tightly inside the bubble, his conviction wavering ever so slightly by Xelloss' words.  
  
The Mazoku sensed this, smiling to himself, despite the circumstances. 'Just like old times,' the priest thought. 'Sending the stoic shaman out to that mining town just might get me what I'm looking for...'  
  
"Whether you believe me or not is all up to you," the priest replied, "but there is still something interesting out there...something worth going to the village for..."  
  
With that, the Mazoku disappeared via sub-space, leaving the chimera more doubtful than before. The chimera glanced through the bubble over the horizon, seeing that the winds slowed down considerably, allowing him to peak over the horizon and see the aforementioned mining town. He cast his eyes down at the ground, thinking intently, his eyes and ears twitching ever so often.  
  
After several minutes, Zelgadiss cast his head back up, taking slow steps to the town than his long strides before. And through the sand, the earth, the air, and the winds, a small, empty canister jingled softly to his steps. And yet, the sound of that pink bracelet – with its blue ornaments and plain appearance – didn't bother him in the slightest.  
  
As the jingling continued, his pace quickened to reach the cliff surrounding the village. Perhaps there was something there worth looking for after all.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*************************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
*Present Time, After Zelgadiss' Arrival*  
  
Filia hurriedly prepared some herbal tea in the kitchen, trying to hurry as quickly as she could. Who knew how long it would take to get those awful stains out of her carpeting?! And all the dust Zelgadiss trudged in earlier...she knew it was going to be one of the those days for her old broom and dust bin. Years of clumsy handling with vases – thanks to certain, nameless demi-humans – had worn the poor cleaning supplies down.  
  
Filia prayed silently that the chimera and the Mazoku didn't reduce her living room to ash. She knew that Zelgadiss probably had better restraint after all these years, but her doubts got the better of her as she balanced two trays on the counter for the tea.  
  
Casting a worried glance at the parlor door, Filia sighed as she reached inside the cupboard above her to retrieve some cookies for her guests.  
  
The Golden Dragon set the jar full of cookies on the counter, absentmindedly nibbling on one to ease her rattled nerves.  
  
It wasn't so much Xelloss that bothered her......but of any unnecessary attention brought with the Mazoku's presence that troubled her. Over the years, the duty of having to raise Val into a fine dragon remained her number one priority, and so thoughts regarding that mischievous Mazoku remained in the back of her mind.  
  
Cracking off a sizeable chunk of her cookie, Filia reminded herself of her growing suspicion of Xelloss making a visit at some point in Val's life. While she didn't know the reasons why, she knew it was most likely to report back some information to his master, Greater Beast Zelas Metallium.  
  
A loud crack rang throughout the kitchen, and Filia, embarrassed with her lack of dignity, noticed she'd gotten crumbs all over her dress. She lightly brushed the tiny crumbs away, flushed and thankful no one had seen her lack of self-control.  
  
Brushing that little incident aside, the Golden Dragon abruptly turned around when the tea kettle sounded, anxious to get back to her "guests" before any possible collateral damage ensued.  
  
She poured the tea lightly into two matching porcelain cups, setting the plate of cookies at the center of the tray and in between the two tea cups. The Golden Dragon heaved in a deep breath, then daintily strode back into the living room. Before she reached the swinging door adjourning to the kitchen and the living room, a small, unnoticeable chunk of cookie fell off the tray and onto the spotless kitchen floor.  
  
Filia's feet missed the cookie by mere centimeters, leaving it unharmed and virtually unknown. And yet, a small crack lay fragmented into the tasty trinket's center, eventually giving the small wedges more leeway to break the cookie into pieces as the day rolled by.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
*Five Minutes Before Filia Returned With the Tea*  
  
Zelgadiss had certainly become a more patient man after the tribulations that occurred twenty years ago; he needed to resolve his firm belief that there was something that was capable of curing him out there. If anything happened that proved otherwise - that all his years of searching were all in vain – then he grimly decided on a final alternative: his death.  
  
If, finally, after all these years the chimera discovered that there really wasn't anything out there that could cure him of his "condition," it would be as if Rezo had gotten the final laugh.  
  
Chuckling gloomily to himself, Zelgadiss thought, "And what a cruel joke it was, Rezo. A freak of society; a monster wearing men's clothing; an appearance so repulsive I can't get close to anyone...Surely not even that girl would think of me in the same way now..." He paused in hi train of thought, unwittingly grasping one of the blue amulets hooked onto the canister around his hips. As Zelgadiss unknowingly continued his ministrations, Xelloss only looked on in feigned interest, eating up some of Zelgadiss' dark emotions.  
  
As he had said before, Xelloss' plans on traveling to this barren town were purely secretive, as always. It was for his master's own interest that he travel to the town, observing and recording whatever information she had instructed him to find and gather. And while he was currently busy filing information he deemed useful to his master, he couldn't help but seem somewhat intrigued by Zelgadiss' plight.  
  
Had Xelloss lied about something "interesting" lying within this rock- ridden town? In Xelloss' eyes, certainly not.  
  
Of course, Xelloss held different perspectives than most people.  
  
Deciding to break Zelgadiss out of his reverie, the Mazoku asked innocently, "So, Zelgadiss...how is that little princess in Seyruun doing now?" Irking Zelgadiss' patience was certainly more fun than sitting and drinking in his negative emotions; that was just tiring after too long.  
  
The chimera's ears twitched slightly, his body stiffening at hearing that girl being mentioned. "I wouldn't know..." he ground out, a little venom in his voice.  
  
"Ohhhhhhhh? And here I thought you two would've tied some sort of knot by now. I mean, if I recall correctly, she was rather smitten with you."  
  
Zelgadiss tried regaining his calm composure from before. He remembered what Lina always lectured him about when it came to patience – try counting in your head or don't make a damn deal about it at all. Heh, Lina giving lessons in patience...  
  
Pushing that matter aside, Zelgadiss turned the tables on Xelloss, saying, "So? Why were you so surprised when I came into Filia's shop not ten minutes ago. You knew I was coming here...and you knew I would go and see Filia about the town's minerals. What's your game, Xelloss?"  
  
Wagging his finger playfully at the irate chimera, Xelloss responded matter- of-factly, "Why, my dear friend, you should know by now that that is a secret."  
  
Turning the tables back on Zelgadiss' useless retort, the violet haired priest chided, "Besides, you didn't answer my question: what happened to our dear little 'Hero of Justice,' Amelia?"  
  
Knowing he was losing the battle, Zelgadiss just sighed deeply, dropping the cerulean amulets from his rough hands. The two blue balls had cracked and gotten rougher over the years, which suited his rock hard hands perfectly.  
  
"After the Dark Star incident, I considered going back to Seyruun with Amelia for a little bit. I was very...embarrassed about the whole situation. All that royalty really didn't suit me for the six weeks I stayed there."  
  
"Oh? Six weeks? Why such a long stay?" Xelloss' interest piqued, if only a little.  
  
"Seyruun is known as the White Magic Capital, so I was certain I could find something to cure me in the hundreds of libraries scattered throughout the kingdom. Amelia even lent to me the wisest clerics of Seyruun to help search as well, eventually coming along to help me herself when I didn't turn anything up. She was so kind to me, and vouched for my heroics to any peasant or nobleman who doubted me by my...appearance.  
  
Because of this kindness, it drove me away as well. I...I started getting used to living in Seyruun, used to talking with Amelia and following her around when "Justice" was at stake. Even her father, prince Phil, grew on me. He may have smothered me by his presence at first, but I grew fond of him over time. "  
  
Zelgadiss heaved another sigh. "I left after over a month, saying it was time I traveled to other countries to learn what I could about anything that could heal me. Amelia was sad at first, but she merely smiled and told me to take care on my journeys. To remember her, she gave me her two blue bracelets,"Zelgadiss held them out for Xelloss to look at, "and told me to uphold Justice whenever evil was afoot." The chimera stowed the jewels back onto his canister, looking at them fondly for a moment.  
  
"But you haven't answered my question, Zelgadiss," Xelloss pressed. "What was the real reason why you left Seyruun?"  
  
Zelgadiss' eyes sunk, the memory crushing him like a weight. "I was afraid I'd get too used to it there...that living there might cause me to actually want to stay. I can't have that. I'd be too much of a burden on Amelia if I did stay. Besides, would she ever really want me with the way I look?"  
  
Xelloss shrugged. "When it comes to platonic relationships, I'm afraid I'm not the one to talk to. Perhaps you should try the dragon with the tea and cookies?"  
  
Zelgadiss' gaze fell on the gaping dragon standing in the doorway, her eyes shining with glee at Zelgadiss' unspoken confession. Lina's Fire Balls were known to be brilliantly hued deep crimson, but Zelgadiss was quite positive his face couldn't get any redder.  
  
Standing up and chuckling to himself, Xelloss tore open a portal to subspace with his cane, stepping through the fabric until only a portion was sticking out. "Well, this is so long for now. I'm sure we'll meet up again soon...Enjoy your stay Zelgadiss."  
  
Realization dawning on him, Zelgadiss growled angrily, losing whatever self- control he had up until that point. Powering up a Val Flare, the chimera screamed, "XELLOSS!! You knew this would happen, didn't you?!"  
  
Xelloss merely laughed heartily at the chimera's situation, disappearing behind the veil of the cut space. Zelgadiss, however, didn't seem to notice, as the spell kept powering up to ridiculous proportions. A large weight that landed on his head brought him back to reality, the spell disappearing into a small flash of sparks.  
  
With all his strength, Zelgadiss turned around to face a very perturbed dragon, her mace digging deeply into his stone scalp. Removing her mace after she deemed him to be of a reasonable mind, Filia fixed her gaze sternly on the chimera, making him wince from his lack of self-control.  
  
"No destructive tendencies are allowed in this shop. I wouldn't want my little Val to be exposed to that sort of again, hmm?"  
  
Zelgadiss nodded however he could under the black mace. The heavy thing was, under the current circumstances, very persuasive.  
  
Lifting the mace and slipping it back under her dress with great ease, Filia set the tray she had been expertly balancing onto the dining table. The dragon pulled out the chair across from Zelgadiss where Xelloss had been not too long ago, making sure her dress wouldn't be ruffled as she gracefully sat down.  
  
The dragon stretched her arm out in a fluid movement, politely addressing that Zelgadiss sit down with her. The chimera sat down slowly, a little winded from Filia's mace attack – though he'd never personally admit to it. What with whatever pride he still valued, and all.  
  
Filia poured the herbal tea into the two cups, again addressing him to take his cup and set it on the plate she'd set out for him. She offered him a cookie, but the chimera politely declined.  
  
Taking a single sip from her tea, Filia finally stared at Zelgadiss with a scrutinizing glare, of which the chimera stiffened a little, worried she'd berate him for almost blowing away half her living room. This changed however, as her glare transformed into a gentle smile, causing Zelgadiss some great confusion.  
  
"Now then," Filia started, "why don't you tell me all about what's happened."  
  
Hesitant at first, Zelgadiss chatted with Filia for the remainder of the afternoon, relieved to finally regale the feelings he'd hidden and locked away for so long; to tell someone of the hits and misses he'd made throughout his journeys. A deep friendship sparked that night, one of mutual intelligence and uncertainty, of hardships and good times.  
  
Zelgadiss was certain his premonition of the day was correct. It was, to be fair, quite long and grating, but it's always at the end of the day when the promise of a new day breaks through the lonely nights. Zelgadiss knew it was corny, but after this night, he was certain that that phrase rung true.  
  
It had certainly been a long day.  
  
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A/N: Whew!!!!! That was a long chappie to write. Took me about almost a month. School work, me sister, and work in general prevented that, but the third chapter is finally here. Just so you know, this is not an ending. There will be another chapter that ties up why Filia and Zelgadiss have been acting so strangely, as well as what happens with the – currently off- screen – adventurers Lina, Naga, and especially Amelia. And what of Xelloss, Sylphiel and Gourry as well? What's going on with them? All shall be revealed, in the next exciting chapter.  
  
PS: Diana, hope you don't hate me fer referencing yuir Mazoku article. It was just so good and poignant, so I included a link as well.  
  
PPS: Give me some feedback on any possible couplings. I'd be happy to consider some for the final chapter, but there are no guarantees I will use them or agree with them. However, any personal suggestions are welcome ^^  
  
Leave some reviews, peeps^^ That's what keeps me energy going...that and some ramen noodles too. 


	4. Shifting Tides Author's Note

*adjusts microphone*  
  
Aherm....it's certainly been a busy couple of months, ne?  
  
Well, there's no excuse for my lack of writing recently. Chalk it up to procrastination and anything else that tends to get in the way of my creative time. I do promise to continue this fic no matter what. I'd just kill myself if I couldn't complete even my first fic here. That would be, like, an insult to me as a writer and as an artist.  
  
Also, the next fic will, hopefully, be the last....and the longest. It's, literally, the end. I'm tying up all the loose ends in the Slayers world as best as I can...I can only hope that this could somewhat portray a perfect ending that Slayers Try left so open and vacant.  
  
As that is the case, don't expect anything for quite awhile. My finals are coming up and this is my last year of high school. As that is the case, I have some projects that are being dumped on me at the moment. Those will tie up all the weeks in May, sadly. So, expect a new, and final, chapter in June sometime.  
  
Hope y'all can come and join the party with me in the final chapter. I definitely want to make it as fun as possible!! XD So, the entire Slayers gang should be dropping in for a visit, as well as some surprise faces too. Even an unexpected couple will be popping in ^^ I'd love to see if any of you can guess what it is XD  
  
Until then, keep yuirselves on yuir feet, and I'll see you then.  
  
[A/N]: If there are some suggestions you have for any pairings you might like to see, just leave a review of this post and I'll see what I can do ^^ I won't guarantee anything, though. 


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